Detailing Older Vehicles

Do you have a vehicle that is more than 15 years old? Well this article is for you!! Recently, I detailed a White 1979 VW Beetle Convertible! Now this vehicle is not their everyday vehicle--it is kept in a garage for the last 2 years and has never been washed in this time. I wasn't so sure this was something I wanted to take on but our good friends were going to feature it as the "Carraige" for the Bride and Groom in their cousin's wedding...I couldn't let them down. Needless to say, I LOVE a challenge! So I accepted the task. The first thing I did was pray! Prayer always works! The second thing I did was consult a technician a meguiars.com and inquired about what to use. I received a response about 6 hours with the answers to my questions and the assurance that this would be a job I would be proud of!

Step 1
I began the very next morning at 7 am--there was a light mist of fog--perfect. The temperature was 63 degrees and a little humid...perfect!!! I washed it thouroughly with Meguiar's Car Wash. I used a large sponge for full coverage and I was quite pleased to see how dirty the water was. I then dried it with a John Bull Chamois atchamois cloth. Chamois cloths are perfect for fast drying! You just wipe off the wet area, ring out and wipe again! This is a wonderful product.

Step 2
At this time, I am ready to apply Meguiar's Cleaner Wax. I first applied it to the lower part of the car and I rubbed with just enough pressure to remove any unseen dirt. Then I applied the wax over the remainder of the car. I let the Cleaner Wax set for about 15 min. With a white terry towel I gently wiped off the Cleaner Wax. I had to be very gentle because I didn't know the history of the finish. When That was done, I noticed a clean shine and the color white again. At this time, I knew that It could be even whiter and shinier once I applied the next two steps.

Step 3
I applied a light coat of Meguir's Tech Wax with a white terry towel over the entire car. I grabbed another white terry cloth and began wiping the wax off in the spot where I first applied it...The hood. Now I think that the hood of the car says a little more about the wax being used because it gets more heat, dirt and moisture on it than any other part of the car with an enamel finish on it. I did notice a few streaks so I rubbed the hood in circular direction with the palm of my hand and then reversed the direction and that immediately took care of the streaks. Now that's what I call a shine! Even the rims were clean and shiny...just beaming!

Step 4 At last!
The Meguiar's Tech Booster Wax. This wax not only boosts your shine but it adds longevity of your shine and it protects even more than your base wax. You can also use the Booster Wax in between waxing. I use it twice a week. This wax is in a spray so I just sprayed an even coat on the towel and started with the hood. After complete application, I again buffed the hood first with my palm in both circular directions. I was looking in a mirror! I was so proud of my work. I think I said something like "Now that's what I'm talking about!"...out loud!

The final touch was spraying Meguiar's Hot Shine Tire Shine on the tires. I was truly amazed. This restored the tire's blackness not to mention an awesome shine!
For the vinyl top, I apllied a generous amount of Armor All Vinyl Cleaner. Good stuff for rag tops! It also preserves the vinyl and keeps it from cracking.

Well, there you have it. A happy ending. Needless to say my friends were so very pleased. I even got a big hug! I hope I have helped some of you who have older vehicles. It was certainly my first but I'm glad I took the job. I learned so much on this one alone, I just had to share it with you. Remember to go to the products website when using a product that you are not sure of. You'll be glad you did. By the way, all these products were purchased at Wal-Mart--they must have read my last article because they now stock the new Next Generation Tech Wax line. Thanks Wal-Mart! Till next time, have a shiny day!